What is, and isn't, kundalini

photo by Melody P on Unsplash

Kundalini happens within a black inner space, of course, no clouds etc etc

 What is kundalini?

First off, it has to be experienced to be believed. It is an incredible energy which lies dormant inside each and every one of us. In a lifetime, it might be awakened, but it truly is not essential to do this. Not every person is interested in doing so. 

The force of this energy, seriously, when I felt it start to move, and it doesn't move up from the base chakra but from somewhere else (which was a big surprise for me), is unstoppable, tremendous, and somewhat overwhelming (understatements here) The kundalini snake, however, does come up from the base chakra and this happened a few years later. During a yoga nidra, would you believe. 

When the energy exploded and arose within me, at the end of 1987, I was very pregnant. And very frightened for the safety of my child. It was like an atom bomb going off inside of me. Kundalini is also extremely loud. And fast moving. When it moves, it is unstoppable.

The energy awakened a few months after the pranic sheath awakened, which was followed that night by Manipura chakra wakening. So, within twenty-four hours, both the pranamaya kosha, and Manipura chakra were in full bloom. And this no doubt is because I had unwittingly opened a portal to the pranic kosha (by doing an advanced and little-known technique to awaken kundalini. Seriously, I was fearless about it all) The awakening of the pranic sheath was full-on. Far more so, than a chakra awakening. Manipura chakra is the seat of energy, and is very much involved with kundalini. 

Prior to this, whenever I closed my eyes, I would hear a deafening roar and see red fire coming out of a square, like a colossal furnace opening up. It was full-on. A friend, who has since Passed Over, would see and hear molten lava.

When the kundalini energy decided to grace me with it's presence, I heard a loud crack of thunder, my whole body felt as though forked lightning had whipped me, and simultaneously felt the energy behind it build up and start to move upwards. Holy hell. It was lucky that I knew how to focus and handle strong experiences. 

The snake sounded like a train going up inside my spine, and she moved as fast as a bullet. 

And the descent of kundalini? My experience was after all body chakras were revealed, opened, and I had experience of some above the head. I was awoken one night by very loud sheet lightning flashing through the darkness in  an inner space. Over and over. At first, I wondered if I'd just had a stroke and was busy moving my face and body, checking myself out. Then I stopped. Nah, I thought, that's just kundalini. I won't describe the descent here but it was like nothing I would have ever imagined. Again, very noisy, very fast, more indepth, with the energy of lightning behind it. It happened a very short time after the lightning episode.

What kundalini is NOT

So, it is with the authority of my own experiences, that I write. I am very clear about what is and isn't kundalini. And I do not think that I know everything. Of course I don't. Nevertheless, I have always been concerned about what I can only describe as utter rubbish, regarding kundalini, that people promote, under the guise of being the expert.

For some reason, many believe that trauma surfacing in one's being, is kundalini. NO. IT. IS. NOT. It is trauma. Neither is psychosis. It is psychosis, not kundalini. 

You can have a kundalini awakening whereby you still have trauma inside of you (voice of experience here), that doesn't surface as a result of the awakening. And, when you have a bonafide kundalini awakening, and you haven't prepared with lots of meditation, I can honestly see how suppressed trauma would come to the surface. 

But. A big but. A massive but. There is a common misunderstanding that if trauma reveals itself, then it is kundalini. And if one is psychotic- kundalini. Experiencing deep despair. "The dark night of the soul". All kundalini. NOT.

For goodness sake. None of these are kundalini. Where did these silly ideas come from?

My very real concern

What concerns me, is that younger, sincere aspirants are being conned by people masquerading as authorities, giving out false, ridiculous information. And be sure, when this is happening, con artists, people looking to be important and superior, they can be very believable. Sadly, and unfortunately. I know people who blat on and on about chakras, too, who get "information" from google. Wha-a-at? That's just plain silly. 

I know that I will probably be facing a lot of flack by writing all of this. I'm used to it. But, I do care about people being fed rubbish, and it was the caring that led me to write this blog post.

"That which is false troubles the heart, but truth brings joyous tranquility": Rumi 

** similar post here written some years ago

** more myth debunking here about the inner fire

** a small kundalini-specific yoga practice here